Atlanta-based
Employment Law Compliance Inc. is offering a discount to GBA members
to help them complete the EEO-1 report that most banks with 50 or
more employees must file with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission by Sept. 30 of each year. The EEOC reviews the report
data to evaluate compliance with federal discrimination and
affirmative action standards. ELC also offers other discounts to GBA
members, too.
Access the EEOC's online reporting system.
For more information about ELC's service,

The
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued a Data Point:
Checking account overdraft report, which provides an analysis of
overdraft transactions in several large banks. As these regulatory
conversations continue, now is the time for financial institutions to
take the steps necessary to ensure that they are providing an overdraft
solution that is in line with compliance expectations.
Read more of
the article from Lawson here...

"I encourage every
Georgia bank president or CEO to come to this year's
GBA President/CEO Conference," said GBA Chairman Remer Brinson,
president and CEO, First Bank of Georgia, Augusta. "The
agenda is full of valuable information, and the networking
opportunities are abundant. We're guaranteed to have a long list of
ideas to take back our banks to use after the conference." The
conference is Oct. 12-14 at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds
Plantation, in Greensboro.
Here's a link to the agenda and
registration information...

Rooms
Selling Out Quickly for Tri-Conferences

Attention
President/CEO,
Bank Counsel and
Bank Accountant
Conference attendees! Rooms are selling out quickly at
The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation. If you have not
already done so, make your reservations by calling the hotel
directly at 866.972.6779.Be sure to let them know you are
with the Georgia Bankers Association group to get the discounted
room rate of $169 per night for single or double occupancy. The
cut-off date for reservations is Sept. 17.With
questions about hotel rates and availability or the conferences in
general, please contact GBA's
Susie McGehee at 404.420.2010. Make your reservations today!

Innovation and ideas for how marketing
can lead new customers to a bank were key themes at this week's GBA
Marketing Peer Group meeting in Macon. "The interactivity and
presentations were what I liked best," said an attendee. "There were
great sessions with lots of detail and they were all relevant."
Thanks to Renee White, First Landmark
Bank, Marietta, who chairs the
GBA Marketing Committee, and Tom
Woodberry, State Bank and Trust, Macon, who is the
co-chair, for their leadership. Read more highlights from this
gathering of GBA's marketing pros...

The public's feelings about the banking
industry are better and tracking alongside improvements in the
general economy and bank performance. A Gallup poll released last
week showed that the public's view of the industry improved by 18
points for the second straight year and is in the positive category
overall for the first time since 2007. The industry scored a net
positive view of 8 percent, up from negative 10 percent a year ago
and negative 28 percent in 2012.
Read more details here...

State of Small
Banks Subject of Hearing Next Week

One of the hearings we'll be watching
closely next week in Washington, D.C., is U.S. Senate Banking
Committee session about the state of small depository institutions.
The hearing will be Tuesday, Sept. 16, and it will feature two
panels. The panel of regulators includes Doreen Eberley, the
FDIC's director of Risk Management Supervision, who also spent time
in Georgia as acting regional FDIC Director for the Atlanta Region.
A second panel will feature a mix of bankers, credit union
executives and consumer advocates. The hearing is intended to get an
assessment from the regulators and bankers about how the Dodd-Frank
Act, the economy and other issues are affecting smaller institutions
around the country.
Link to more details about the hearing...

Voter
Registration Period Ends Oct. 6, Register with Phone App

Registering to vote is no hassle these
days. There's a new mobile phone app that lets Georgians register to
vote and get other important election information including polling
places and early voting locations. The GA Votes app is available
free from Apple's App Store and Google Play. Bankers, please
encourage employees and customers to vote, and please take part in our
Georgia Banker Democracy Days campaign. Remember, voter registration
ends Oct. 6. We've got free resources available, and please sign up
for the program so we can recognize your participation.
Click here to visit our Democracy Days website for details...

The
results of the 2014 GBA Compensation and Benefits Survey and the
Affordable Care Act Impact and Healthcare Benefits Survey are on
sale now. We've already sent the results to those members who
participated and pre-ordered the report. The price for the survey
results for members that did not provide data for the survey is
$400. This year, more than 60 Georgia financial institutions
provided data for about 11,500 employees. You can order a copy by
contacting GBA's
Kenyetta Parks, 404.420.2035.

Invite your Legislators to Georgia BankPAC
Golf Classic - Oct. 1

Don't miss the
opportunity to invite your legislators and directors to meet and
play golf with your colleagues at Leadership GBA's
13th-annual
Georgia BankPAC Classic
Wednesday, Oct. 1, at The Club at River Forest in
Forsyth. This two-person scramble tournament is sure to be a fun and
challenging event for everyone. Registration is $150 per person,
$250 per team or $450 for a team and hole sponsorship. The proceeds
will be donated to the GBA StatePAC.
Click here to register online.
Please call GBA'sSusie McGehee
at 404.420.2010 with questions about the tournament.

Fewer Paying
Account Service Fees, Says Survey

Basic banking services continue to be a
good deal, with more and more people finding ways to avoid monthly
account fees, according to an
ABA survey out this week. Sixty-two percent of bank customers
pay no monthly account fees, an increase of seven points from the
year before. If you combine that with the 12 percent who pay $3 per
month or less, that means about three of every four bank customers
pay less than the cost of a gallon or milk or gas to get insured
bank accounts with lots of convenient features.

Remember to Take Advantage of Early-Bird
Registration for Georgia Banking School to Save Big

The Georgia Banking School is a unique
learning opportunity for qualified, highly-motivated bankers and a
challenging experience that requires full personal commitment. Your
bank also makes a commitment to invest in tuition and your time away
from the bank for one week during each of the school's three years.
If you're considering attending Georgia Banking School as a
first-year student, remember to register early to take advantage of
Early Bird tuition. First-year applicants may register and pay by
Jan. 16, 2015, and receive the early-bird price of $1,750. You'll
save $125. One recent Banking School graduate had this to say about
his time in Athens:

"The Georgia Banking School was a great
experience for me. I learned a great deal from the curriculum - and
I also learned a great deal from my fellow students. The time and
effort commitment was a great investment in my career." -
Bryan Williams, vice president, The Citizens Bank,
Nashville,
and 2014 Georgia Banking School Honor Graduate.

In
a landmark case, the courts and IRS have re-defined the
"once-per-12-month" rule. Banks must know about this so
their
customers can avoid huge IRS tax and penalty pitfalls. Come and learn
about this and more from one of the most
respected IRA experts in the country, Patrice Konarik of
Sunwest Training Corp., at GBA's seminar Sept. 25. The seminar
will be at The Brickyard Golf Club in Macon.
Please click here to register for the seminar.
With questions, please contact GBA's Danielle Driggers
at 404.420.2002.

Fair Lending
Seminar - Sept. 30

Examiners have a
renewed interest in fair lending compliance, particularly for HMDA-reporting
community banks. Banks are expected to implement fair lending
compliance activities, including monitoring of lending policies,
procedures and practices, loan personnel training, and second
reviews of denied applications. Steve Moore, president of
Bank Compliance Services, will provide an in-depth look at fair lending,
including a detailed description of "side-by-side loan file
analysis," common loan practices with potential fair lending
effects, and other components of an effective fair lending program.
GBA's Fair Lending
seminar is scheduled for Sept. 30 at Idle Hour Country Club in
Macon. If you're a compliance officer,
compliance auditor or a loan officer, you can't afford to miss this
one! To register, click here. With questions, please contact GBA's Danielle
Driggers
at 404.420.2002.

Shown above are the three executive officers and
original organizers of Highland Commercial Bank, Left to
Right, M. Greg Griggs, President, James H. Powell,
Chairman and CEO and Beate F. Frank, Chief Financial
Officer

Read All About It:
Send Us Your News

Please remember to include the Georgia
Bankers Association on the list of recipients for announcements
about promotions, new employees and special recognition your bank
has received. We want to share your news with your colleagues across
the state. Please forward your announcements and photos to GBA'sDavid Oliver and Bogan Brannen.